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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Family

Today's topic for Blogust is, do you think family is defined by blood or action?

I would have to say both.

No matter what, you're tied to your biological family through genetics, and that's a powerful tie that can't be denied or changed. Not just physical traits, but habits, diseases, and memories can be imbedded in blood and bone. No matter how your parents behave after you're born, you're still connected to them and your siblings physically, if not emotionally. And no one can deny there's a biological and emotional imperative to create and nurture that connection in most people.

But people also create families, all the time, through emotional bonds. My grandparents emigrated to the US, and I have never met any of their relatives who lived in Germany. However, they created another family in the US through their friends and fellow immigrants who are my "aunts" and "uncles," and who served as my extended family.

Personally, I think people need both. Family is family--you kind of have to put up with each other, and that can be a wonderful and an awful thing. But having the type of family that's forged because you choose to associate and not because you have to is important, too.

This post is part of Blogust, a meme where we post every day in August. For more information, topics, or to sign up, visit Beyond Elsewhere.